Chris Chappell

Well we can see it all again next Sunday as another plane, ( the other half!) takes the same route at the same time.

I understand that someone by the name of John Johnson from the Freedom Church is standing as a Conservative in the Golden Valley. I know no more than that! The former Marian Father's site does not need planning permission as it was previously a residential training centre for another church group. Of course if they wanted to do so new build in the grounds or an extension then they would reqire consent for that. Hope this helps.

This is a public enquiry and the Inspector seems to be getting a lot from the planners! She is asking in-depth questions and I look forward to reading her report when it is published. Pity more of the public did not turn up today, it is difficult to explain on here what is happening unless you have witnessed it for yourself. The enquiry will go on till the end of the month, 10am to 6pm, so plenty of time to attend!

Yer, terrible that the British Heart Foundation should want local MPs to help support their national campaign and to write a press release for them to support the BHF! Next we will find charities lobbying MPs for money! Sorry guys could'nt resist it, on behalf of the British Heart Foundation, thanks for making a financial donation for research!

Just in case you have't heard, the Council's scrutiny Committee is scrutinising what happened at HU and how it has all panned out on Wednesday 18th February at 10am. I tried to persuade the Chairman of Committee to hold meeting at 5pm when all you guys will have finished work but he refused. I intend to ask some questions so I may join Bobby and be pilloried, all part of the job for a councillor but not for our Bobby!

Hi Greenknight. I think the answer to your question is that Healthwatch, who are organising this event only wanted to discuss health care provision in the county, and did not want the Council there! Do't get me going on the subject of joined up thinking/ delivery of health/social care in the county or we will be here for weeks!! Safe to say I have been saying for years that there needs to be more co-ordination between different providers, health, council and voluntary sector. It just does not happen as it should Bobby I will ask your interesting question about interpreters. I know the police often are asking for volunteer interpreters but I know nothing about the health groups in this area. Leave it with me I think I know someone who may know the answer. I know someone whose husband died last summer. They had a ceiling hoist put in, £1000 approx, paid for by the tax payer, about a year before he died. We used it once a day to hoist into/out of bath. Perhaps it was used in total for five hours. When the widow contacted the suppliers/OT, she was told they did not want it back. In the end she gave it to the Hospice, although a good cause, surely it should go to another needy person? I believe there are a lot of sticks, zimmers, hoists, stair lifts that are no longer needed by the person they were intended for.

Bobby is so right about timings of visits, but it is not only nurses who are suppose to be in two places at once. Before I retired as a care worker last year, I was often with a client in the Clehonger area at 8.55pm and schedualled to be in Marden at 9pm. Even if traffic lights were all on green it still would take at least 15 minuets if driving responsibly. My partner who is still a care worker, still is expected at times to be in two places at once. I am going to the Healthwatch Question Time event. The panel are the experts in their disciplines, so hopefully the questions asked will get the proper answer. I have two questions in. One of mental health, Cinderella of the NHS and much neglected out in the community, and one about used equipment, hoists, Zimmer frames etc, which appear to be thrown away when no longer wasted! I hope others will take up tickets as not enough questions are asked about healthcare in Herefordshire.

As I said, they can open the shop tomorrow all the planning application is about putting in incedentals like ATM and refuse place. If they fail to get permission for these they can still open the shop. Like I say, I would like to think this can be stopped, as one of the Ward Councillors, but the pub to shop is only an alteration of service. Planning permission is needed for these extras but they are only extras. When I wrote yesterday the planning application had not been validated. Now we know what they are putting in an application for. The way it will be prevented from becoming a shop is if the HA forbid the increase of traffic onto the highway. The brewery should open a Restraunt, if it wants to make a success of the pub. As a matter of interest there is a planning application in for the Ship Inn to be converted to 37 flats which should come to committee in weeks.

Hi Guys, I would like to say I will stop this happening but it is not going to be easy. There is no need for a planning application as a pub is class A1 the same as a food shop. There is no planning application in yet, butt appears that the developer wants to do some sort of extension, probably at the rear of the building to receive goods from lorries. There is a huge difference between two lorries a week delivering beer and three a day delivering food. A few cars, mainly in the evening is different to several cars an hour for 12 hours a day. I believe the Highways Agency will oppose a planning application on the grounds that more vehicle movements will put a great deal of pressure on the Ross Road/Holme Lacy Road Junction. It will make the junction very much more dangerous. But as I say, no planning application is needed if there is no change to the outside of the building. A shop could open tomorrow. Apparently there is no plan to close the existing Co-op in Holme Lacy Road. Another food shop is not needed in South Wye and will probably have a devastating effect on Stokes Stores and the Red Hill shop. I am going to do my best to fight this and keep the Broadleys open but it will need all of us, the public, to protest. I hope all bloggers will go to the meeting a week on Friday at 7pm.

Hi Dippy, Election law forbids publications to carry election messages from individual candidates unless it carries messages from all the candidates. Candidates have to put in an election return to the Election Registration Officer which includes any publicity. This gets technical, because what is publicity and how do you judge its financial worth? Candidates all have to provide receipts as evidence of proof to the ERO for any cost incurred. Courts can fine candidates and disqualify them if they break these rules. I think Colin needs to contact the ERO at the Town Hall to clarify the situation. You will notice that the HT will make no mention of Councillors when reporting meetings when we go into Purder. BBC H & W will always give equal time to all the candidates, even UKIP! As candidates, all our election material has to carry an imprint saying who the printer is and who published the material. There's a lot more to being a candidate than knocking on doors. Candidates are never formally announced until thier papers have been accepted by the ERO. Once accepted then candidates are legally responsible for their own actions and those of their supporters! It has been known for a candidate to get into serious trouble with the law, because of the actions or words of supporters. A candidate on HV might get into trouble if an over enthusastic supporter, following a conversation, was to call an opponent a cad!! I hope this helps.

Good Morning and Happy New Year. I am standing for re-election again. I have no idea who else will stand against me and until nominations close and are formally published at beginning of April, no one will be certain who will stand for election and in which Ward. Council goes into 'Purder' beginning of March, from then on no news media will cover politics unless it gives equal time to all parties. No one standing for election will come on Hereford Voice as penalty is heavy fine and can lead to disqulification. I think there will be one or two of the Cabinet retiring and other Tories too. As the general election is on the same day as the council elections, turn out is likely to be greater than last time. I fear that may give the Tories an advantage. The Tories and Lib Dems have more money than the IOC, who are considered in law a political party. Independents, being Independent, pay out of their own pockets for their election campaigns! I have supported an Eastern route by-pass for 30 years as is well recorded in the HT and similar papers. I believe that most of my Indepedent councillor colleagues do to. The budget debate is on going and finishes at Council in February. Once set it would be very difficult to change it for the coming financial year. It is proving very difficult to know where cuts can be made without more hurt for the most vulnerable. (Before you ask, pay scales are set nationally, and at market value. So little scope there for cuts) There is still too much duplication. At any one time as many as 15 different disciplines can travel from Hereford to say Leintwardine for example. (Housing officer, social worker - children and adult, Environmental Health officer, planning officer! Community nurse, fire protection officer, other health officials etc). That is an awful lot of 40p per mile car journeys and dead time. Some of these disciplines could double up saving money from the public purse. So the Council and Health need to think more carefully where savings could be made. I hope the Council will be made up of people who will put the county first, prepared to think and consult widely, not just with other Councillors but with the public too. We will have to wait until 8th May before we will get any idea what shape the Council will take.

Ubique, never be apologetic for talking about your service to your country and fellow man. Many of us younger guys have forgotten Malaya and similar smaller wars where British soldiers have given their lives, not necessarily through death. I for one could listen to these stories for hours. One thing that has become apparent recently, is that there needs to be more written histories by those who were there. Perhaps you could have a project for the New Year to write it all down, warts and all!! Then come and speak to some of the kids in schools to tell them? Sorry Colin if I gone off on one, slap my wrist at the Hereford Voice New Year Party!!! Chris

Hi Bobby hope you are not as unwell as I feel, but you have cheered me up reading your blog. I left Labour Party because I could not stand any more middle class intellectual rubbish claptrap being spoken and not enough care for ordinary people. Unison were involved and assisted the bullied and have since kept a watching brief. I have a meeting before Christmas with Unison so will check that things ok in this area. The problem for the unions at grass roots, is that the membership do need to show their support when asked to demonstrate against bullying, low pay etc. Unfortunately in Herefordshire, the forelock syndrome is still more powerful than the will to speak out. Which is why you, and everyone on Hereford Voice are so important to keep me and other Councillors alert. Best regards,

Hi, I was't there as I have bad man flue and a cold. I understand that the Tories mainly voted against. Straight after the holiday, a small group of members from each group, one or two, will meet to see how we go forward. Will try to keep you informed.

Sorry, should have said that it is 10am this coming Friday, inthe Shire Hall.

Council starts at 10am in the Shirehall.

Hi Flam, sorry in delay replying to your question but been having a weekend off with my partner! I hate Christmas shopping! I never give up if I see a wrong or injustice. Sometimes it takes me longer than I would like. When I was in my twenties I was branch secretary of my local National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers, now part of Unite. I worked on a farm and I discovered that one of my members aged 80 and had lived in the same tied cottage, and worked for the same farmer for over 50 years. Farmer wanted his cottage and had given him a month to move out. That is being a bully so I went and told the farmer so and tried to help my Member. My employer sacked me as he knew the other farmer,and I lost my home too! My then wife was not that impressed at losing her home, and it taught me to take my time, learn who you are dealing with, before you go into battle. It is the way I try to conduct my life as a councillor too. Sometimes it is best to stay quiet until you have everyone in your sights! Now I am retired, slowed by arthritis, I take my time more but my fight to stop bullies and injustice is as intense as ever. Hope this answers your question.

Hi Dippy, sorry was not privy to this however if I can I will find out more. I hope to have another meeting with The union before Christmas. I have been in a trade union for 45 years and active some of that time as an officer. I know that at least one of the group leaders meets them occasionally, but I can not speak for the others. I keep up my links as it seems to me to be important to hear every body's point of view, and although I can get one version of an event in the Barrels on a Friday night, it may not tally with a more informative version, without the beer, on a week day!! On the subject of bullying, it can take many shapes from the odd word to physical abuse. Ignoring someone to forcing them to do things against their will. Across the county there is some great work going on to try to stop Domestic Violence, a form of bullying, from the police, Women's Aid. Voluntary organisations etc. the problem is of course, that it is often a hidden problem, no one wants to say they are being bullied, not least men, so getting to the problem and solving it can take a long time. It is difficult to define bullying sometimes. Is a patient in hospital being bullied if they can never reach the cup of tea placed just out of reach for them? Is a woman told by her partner that she can not go out with friends to night bullying? A boss refusing to allow time off for staff to see child's nativity play at school? Wrong type of desk provided for staff and constant refusal to do something about it, is that bullying? In my book the answer to all above is yes but others may have a different opinion. I hate bullies with a vengeance as I have seen it and experienced it at first hand at work and else where. I hope it is not too prevalent in the Council, but if the Council reflects some conversations I have heard in pubs, clubs, in people's homes or on the streets, then possibly it is going on. It needs all of us to stand up to bullies as I have never met one who is not also a coward. Sorry to go on Dippy, but this is a subject close to my heart. Hope you have a good weekend.

No reason other than to highlight the staff we know have been bullied as opposed to those that may have been but not aware of! Have friends who say that there may have been bullying in a department/office, but I have to deal with facts and unless evidence is brought to me it is difficult to know for sure! Hope the Wirral is a little warmer than Herefordshire this morning.

Hi, Yes I am keeping an eye on where the redundancies are being made. I meet regularly with Unison to discuss these and similar matters and No I am not aware of any of the 'Bullied' being made redundant. Councillors would not normally be told who or where the redundancies are made. This might be reported to the Group Leaders at their regular meetings with the CE, but other wise Councillors would not formally be told. A friend of mine, who I knew when she and I were in our teens, only told me she had been made redundant three weeks after she had left her job. I know bloggers think we should be more on top of this but it is difficult and there are other things we need to do. The union are best placed to monitor what happens and I rely on them to keep me informed. This week I have tried to help an elderly lady with her husbands probate. Sorting out a manhole cover that has fallen in at a house on a new estate. Attended for four hours the Call-In for the by-pass then went straight across the road to attend the City Council meeting. Visited Hinton Community Centre to congratulate the great work going on there with the boxing which is giving so many young people an opportunity to feel worth while. Visited a 97 year old constituent to check she is warm enough and done one of my regular visits to the Academy where I am a governor. Read several notes of meetings, had a compliant and been asked for assistance about a planning matter. Done one of my walking inspections of my part of my Ward. And it's only Thursday morning! I will worry about the election when it gets nearer, if folk want me to continue they will get the opportunity on May 7th.

Yes and No.

If I may just make a comment about the planning refusal. It was turned down because of a lack of parking facilities and because of the extra traffic movements. I opposed an ATM going into Tesco as there is already enough cars parking there and vehicles parking, even for a short while, would cause a problem on Holme Lacy Road. It was suggested in the application that there might be 100 people attending the proposed centre at any time. This could generate many more vehicle movements at this point where Holme Lacy Road starts to narrow towards the traffic lights and so close to two other road junctions and the Tesco exit. There were never going to be any bodies either buried there or at services. Change of use permissions are required in certain circumstances. A pub to a shop, and visa versa, will always need change of use permission but not necessarily planning permission. A shop to a day centre needs planning permission as they are different types of purposes. The Ward Councillors and local residents were told in October that permission had not been granted for the day centre. Our advice was, as usual, sought by the planning officer before the decision was made. I hope this helps.

Thought you may like to know that the Street Pastors have Annuual Commisioning service on Sunday in Baptist Church. There is more to come with the opening of the former Magistrates Court being used at night to assist those who have got a little distraught by drink or other foolishness. Street Pastors is national and do some terrific work across the country. Hereford took its example from the Street Pastors in Yeovil. The 'Venture' charity is doing a lot of good work and is gaining more and more support from the police, social services, health and other organisations.

Hope you like the three benches Cllr Bob Preece and I have had installed along the river path behind ASDA. They have been paid for with money we got from the City Council for minor works in the Ward. These particular benches are to commemorate the people from South Wye who have given their lives for this country. They include the 57 men from St.Martins who died in the Great War at a time when none of the housing that is in the area now, existed! Must have effected and devastated every family in the area. When you sit on them, please spend a moment of reflection. We have also had two different type of benches placed in the dog run on the KG meadows, for owners whose dogs like to take a time doing what dogs do!

When I was informed yesterday as Ward member, it was implied that this was a formality until the test results came back today. In any event it was likely that the walk in centre would have been closed for an infections inspection following a severe bout of v and d! It does show how important it has been to have the walk in health centre in South Wye. I hope that the Wye Valley Health Trust will not look to closing it. When as Chairman of the South Wye Regeneration Partnership, we wanted to get the health centre to ASDA, as part of the ASDA/flood defences/ Kindle Centre/ bowling club, planning gain, it was important to get the then Health Authority to come there, I agreed to a five to seven year rent free period, after that they had to pay rent, which is now what the WVHT does. Good value over the years but in these money cutting times I hope they will not find the rent a step to far.